It's the final CRJ Journal of the year!

Dear Allison,

There are often moments in this work where we wonder if we are making enough of an impact. Are we supporting people the best we can? Is there more we could be doing? This past week, I had the pleasure of meeting a few of our clients from Family Reentry's "RISE" program - and I immediately knew the answers to these questions.

Along with Family Reentry friends and donors, our RISE clients gathered together in our Bridgeport office to premiere a video documenting their experiences in the program. In the video, the women spoke powerfully about just how important the RISE program was to them. I encourage everyone to watch it, and I hope their stories will be a guiding force for all of us in the new year. Our work has the power to change lives, and I am so grateful for the team here that makes that possible!

Along with the entire leadership team at CRJ, I wish you the happiest holiday season and a bright year ahead.

Deb

Reminders this Month

You have four more days to fill out our Employee Engagement Pulse Survey. Check your email for a personalized link from the HR team! This anonymous survey allows staff to share where we can improve and where we are succeeding as an organization. The more responses we receive, the better we can identify opportunities for change. Please make your voice heard, and let HR know if you have any questions or can't find a link to your survey: hr@crj.org.

It's cold and flu season: Get vaccinated! If you have health insurance through CRJ (or most health insurers!) the COVID-19 and flu vaccines are free. Please keep yourself and those you care for in good health this holiday season. Reach out to our benefits team at benefits@crj.org if you have questions on your insurance plan or where to get vaccinated.

It can be an anxious time of year. Don't forget to check out the Calm App (Free for all CRJ employees): The Calm app offers grounding exercises to manage stress, meditation to relieve anxiety and tension, and activities to get our bodies moving. Visit this link, and sign up with your CRJ email (or log in to an existing account).

On December 20th, join DEI Director Abimbola Iyun for a DEI "Hour of Reflection" from 12pm-1pm. Together, she'll help us explore ways to cultivate a sense of reflection and gratitude to close out the year. Link Here to Join.

Welcome Peter Gerondeau!

On December 4th, CRJ welcomed Peter Gerondeau as our next Chief Financial Officer and Vice President. Peter will be responsible for financial and operations management and provide support to our technology services and facilities teams. Peter joins CRJ from Dimock Community Health Center, where he held numerous leadership positions during a highly successful 22-year career at the Boston-based community health provider. Learn more about Peter here

Our Programs in the News

Women coming home from prison get little help rebuilding

CRJ's women's reentry work was featured in WGBH's "Life After Prison" series. The story documented the underutilization in women's reentry programs, the unique challenges women experience upon reentry, and the wrap-around care we offer women at McGrath House.

Learn more here

Reminder: Support our Individuals This Holiday Season

Almost every year, Christopher, a Bellingham resident in our Community Strategies program, has been raising money for Special Olympics doing the polar plunge! Raising these funds supports inclusive experiences for more than 14,000 Special Olympics athletes and 15,000+ volunteers in Massachusetts.

Support Chris' Polar Plunge

That's a wrap! See you in 2024!

This is the final CRJ Journal of 2023. Thank you for making this a year to remember. Please let us know how you would like to improve the Journal going forward! Send feedback, ideas, or critiques to Megan at mpiccirillo@crj.org.

We will be back on January 8th with our next edition. See you in the new year!

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